Last year the Toronto Marlies were one of the favorites to make a Calder Cup run. That quest fell short, but should still very much be alive and well for the Maple Leafs farm club.
Promoted are William Nylander, Zach Hyman, Josh Leivo and Connor Brown. A quartet of Marlies regulars that accounted for 61 goals in 2015-2016.
Also playing on other teams or in other leagues are T.J. Brennan and Mark Arcobello, a pair of players who tallied another 50 goals for the Marlies last year.
That’s 111 goals gone. Difficult to replace, no?
Significant offensive players might be promoted or departed, but players like Colin Smith, Brendan Leipsic and Kasperi Kapanen are capable of an increased role that should replace a good chunk of those goals.